Checkout Lane: Tire style and quality make a difference on the road

Monday

Identifying the proper tire size for a car is simple. But choosing the right style and level of quality is slightly more complicated.

Identifying the proper tire size for a car is simple. But choosing the right style and level of quality is slightly more complicated.

Dean Carlton, owner of Preferred Auto & Tire in Weymouth, Mass., said that all cars built after 1982 come with stickers - usually on the driver's-side door jamb - that indicate the automaker's recommended tire size and pressure.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration assigns each tire model a grade based on three attributes: tread durability, traction and resistance to high temperatures. A tire with decent grades in all three categories costs about $65, plus an added $25 each for mounting, balancing and disposal of old tires, Carlton said.

Mike Anderson, service manager at Lucchetti's Service Center in Marshfield, Mass., said investing in a slightly more expensive tire may save you money in the long run. For example, a tire with a 400-mileage rating will last twice as long as a cheaper one, Carlton said.

Anderson said that tires should match the specific type of car and the owner's driving habits. SUVs may require all-terrain tires with greater traction, he said, while sedans typically only need general all-season tires.

Anderson also suggested that snow tires may only be useful for people who absolutely need to commute through heavy snowfalls, noting that regular all-season models provide decent traction through up to 5 inches of snow. If you're the type of person who waits to hit the road until after the plow comes around, special tires may not be necessary, he said.

But Carlton said he recommends snow tires for anyone who can afford them.

"Having two sets of tires is like having two pairs of shoes - they're going to last a lot longer," he said.

European manufacturers consider their tires to be expired after six or seven years, Anderson said. While American companies haven't adopted that standard yet, he considers any tire older than that to be unsafe.

Carlton also cautioned against using the old penny trick - in which a coin is inserted into the treads to see whether Abraham Lincoln's image is still visible - to determine a tire's safety. Even if it passes the test by obscuring Lincoln, it may still be unsafe, he said.

A $5 tread depth gauge provides a more accurate reading: If your tire has less than one-eighth of an inch of tread left, it's time to replace it.

Alex Spanko may be reached at aspanko@ledger.com.

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KEEP ON ROLLING

Proper maintenance is essential to the safety and longevity of your tires.

Many manufacturers recommend checking your tire pressure every week, but once per month should suffice.

If you find that you need to add air after every pressure check, there's probably a leak.

You shouldn't necessarily fill your tires to the maximum pressure listed on the side. Consult the sticker on driver's-side door jamb to determine the proper pressure for your car. A car with over-inflated tires won't handle the way the manufacturer intended.

Conversely, low tire pressure decreases your fuel economy, and increases the tires' temperature - which can lead to damage.

Consider filling your tires with pure nitrogen, as opposed to air. Nitrogen leaks out of tires more slowly than air, and doesn't expand and contract as temperatures change.

If you do invest in snow tires, don't drive on them in the summertime. The added heat can cause the treads to wear rapidly.